How to Manage Your Pet’s Nutrition and Weight

If you’ve ever been hit with “the look” by a doe eyed dog, or a questioning meow by a cat, while eating or preparing food, then you understand how hard it is not to overfeed them.  They’re so darn cute, and judging by that look in their eyes, they’re fast fading away from sheer hunger.  It seems almost rude not to share, especially if they’ve learned to ask in some infernally adorable way. 

However, pet obesity is a huge problem in North America.  We feed them like we eat, and we all know how that’s working out for us, don’t we?  There are many ways of keeping your pet at optimum weight while surviving the dreaded puppy dog eyes, and the sashay of kitty cuteness.  In the long run, proper pet nutrition and weight management will save you a great deal of heartache, and your pet from unnecessary suffering.

To begin with, you need to get to know basic nutrition for your pet.  I’ll base this on dogs and cats since they are the most popular companion animals in America. 

Dog Nutrition

Domestic dogs are omnivores, though they do well with a raw food diet, as well.  Packaged dog food exists because it contains all the fats, protein, vitamins and minerals that dogs can’t get from people food.  Not all dog foods are equal, however, so do your homework, or talk to a professional, a vet, a trainer, or someone who works at a pet supply store.  No offense to the employees at Wal-Mart, but I doubt studying the nutritional value of dog and cat food is their number one passion.

Now, each dog’s chemistry is different, just like ours.  Some will live 15 years on a certain type of dry food alone and never have a major health problem.  Meanwhile, some dog’s systems are picky.  They will need a specific type of dry food, or wet food only, or both mixed with vitamins and require a magic wand waved over it three times each meal.  Suffice it to say, it really depends on your dog.

Cat Nutrition

Cats are carnivores.  Yes, many domestic cats enjoy fruit, veggies, starches and dairy products.  Dairy products do not exist in the wild, so most cats are somewhat lactose intolerant.  A couple of tablespoons of milk, yogurt, or ice cream, a couple flakes of cheese, and that’s all, and not all in one day.

But protein is the most essential thing in a cat diet.  Cats require a high percentage of protein, usually 28 to 32 percent, depending on age.  Older animals do have different nutritional needs.  The B amino-acid Taurine is critical to your cat’s digestive abilities, and they can only get it from animal soft tissue such as muscle and organs, as their bodies don’t process the amino acid naturally.  It’s essential you cross check the amount of taurine in a cat food, with required intake online, or with a vet.

Avoiding Dry Food ‘Fillers’

There are several kinds of food for cats and dogs each.  My first warning right off the bat, corn and corn meal, and corn gluten are fillers used to cut the cost of making pet food.  They serve no nutritional purpose in your pet’s diet, and general end up going in one end and coming straight out the other.  I look at commercial pet food like this: if you can buy it at a department or grocery store, its content is questionable.  Check the foods reputation, online, including consumer testimonials, or warning reports.  Check the ingredients.

Having said that, wet food (canned) is great, but its protein content is low.  Dry food is high in protein, but low in moisture.  Cats get the majority of their moisture from what they eat, so mixing wet and dry food, either literally, or alternatingly, is a good idea.  And of course, always making water available is important.  There are a multitude of flavor combinations in every brand of food also . Alternate flavors, for dogs and cats, like us, have taste buds too.  If they have variety in their own food, they may be less likely to fixate on yours.

If you are worried about weight management, avoid red meats, they are fattiest.  There are many Weight Management dry and wet foods for cats and dogs.  You want lower fat and protein percentages, especially if your cat is indoor only or your dog is more sedentary.

Feeding a Raw Food Diet

A raw food diet (exactly what it sounds like) can be optimal, but learn as much about it as you can, and consult a vet/ professional, before changing your pet’s diet.  Some human grade food (only suggested if you get a recipe from your vet or professionals who have worked in the industry) is OK to feed your dog, but you must be careful. Some ‘human foods’ such as chocolate, beer or some grains can actually be poisonous to your dog.  So don’t start sharing your pizza with your dog.  Barney may love Kraft Dinner and be woeful without it, but he’ll get over it, and there will be no later-life liver or heart problems to boot.

Rules for a Raw Food Diet:

Dogs – no commercial, boxed, processed foods, fried, deep fried or foods of questionable origin.  Only real meat, real fresh veggies and fruit, and unprocessed cereal products.  Table scraps are NOT a healthy diet!  I mean, really, would you feed your kids the dregs of someone else’s dinner?  Just because a dog gobbles them up, doesn’t mean he/ she knows that pork rind is bad for them. 

Most table scraps include things like chicken skin, pork fat, burned bits and cooked bones – all of which are unhealthy for your dog to consume.  Domestic animals have lost a lot of that instinct that steers them away from harmful substances.  Case in point – antifreeze.  Tasty and palatable to drink, but lethal.

Cats – The diet should include muscle tissue, innards or tripe, bone (bone meal) and

cartilage – basically an entire carcass ground up, ie: chicken.

Understanding Portion Control and Weight Management

Food portion to exercise ratio is what is most important for weight management.  For example, indoor cats need much less food, as they generally expend less energy.  A chihuahua needs roughly 15 minutes or less of exercise a day.  In turn, they need to eat very little.

When feeding, pay attention to the food directions on the package, or ask your vet. Understand that keeping the treats very moderate, and choosing them carefully, is the most loving thing you can do for your pet.  You CAN kill them with love and good intentions.  Most pets won’t moderate portions themselves, which goes for dogs and cats, so it’s up to you to be the ‘parent.’

To sum up, remember that overfeeding won’t make your “furry children” love you more – providing a safe environment, fresh water daily and a healthy diet will.  This means you taking the time to learn about your pet’s nutritional requirements, and taking care to choose optimal nutrition designed for felines and or canines, not whatever you feel like serving them.  If they’re giving you the pleading eyes, play with them instead – they’ll appreciate it just as much.